


our parents won't determine the paths we take

by salvatorestjohn



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Harry Hook Angst, Harry and Evie bond, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecurity, Isle of the Lost (Disney) is a Terrible Place, Kissing, Light Angst, Minor Doug/Evie (Disney: Descendants), Post-Descendants 3, Sad Evie (Disney)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 11:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20134942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salvatorestjohn/pseuds/salvatorestjohn
Summary: Harry can't help but look at her in disbelief. It's the first time in the last day two days that he's heard her so...so much like an Isle kid. He knows she is, obviously.And yet, for the last two days, while really spending time with her for the first time, he's only heard her be upbeat and positive. Perky, as Uma described her, and so set on making peace between them all. She's been like all the Auradon kids he's met, fitting in perfectly, handing out smiles and warm words to all of them, even him.For a minute, he forgot that she was stuck in the same hell he was.





	our parents won't determine the paths we take

It's all over. The barrier's down, once and for good now, and everyone is free. Harry can't quite wrap his head around it if he's honest. The Isle has been all he's known since he was born. 

Maybe that's why he can't quite seem to let it go. Everyone's dealing with their own things now that Auradon is safe; the king and Mal are putting a new system in place, new laws and trials for the villains that they're escorting over from the Isle.

To see if they deserve a second chance or if they're going straight for the new prison being built in Auradon with magic at this very moment. A part of Harry knows he should be in there with the rest of them. His dad's attempts on Peter Pan's life weren't exactly minor crimes.

And yet, he can't bring himself to leave the bridge. His dad has never spared him even an ounce of his attention or love except to tell him that he should be more like him, that he's a disgrace to pirates. It sounds ridiculous, but his cruel voice has carved out a piece of his chest that still aches when he thinks about it too long.

He looks down at his hands, his legs swinging slightly off the edge of the bridge. He turns the hook slowly between his fingers. It really is pathetic. Him carrying it around all this time to try and be like his dad, prove that he'll be as good a captain as he once was.

He shakes his head to himself, exhaling a noise halfway between a scoff and a sigh. He lifts his eyes away from it and is automatically drawn back to the Isle. It no longer has that giant storm cloud hanging over it, blanketing it in a shadow. It almost looks nice from a distance, against the backdrop of the pink and orange sky.

"Alright," he mutters, and begins to push himself to his feet, "that's enough of that."

This is his new start. He didn't ask for it, and never did he really think he wanted it. At least until the opportunity to have it was stolen away from him.

But now, the thought of going back just doesn't feel right. Of course, if Uma decides that's what she wants to do, he'll be right there, by her side. He is her first mate, after all, no matter what.

With one last look at the Isle and a heavy feeling hanging in his chest, he turns away from it and focuses his gaze back on Auradon as he starts walking back towards it.

It takes him a good few seconds, but once he realizes he isn't the only one who couldn't seem to decide on what they wanted to do, he falters in his steps. He frowns, staring at the familiar head of blue hair in confusion.

It's probably best if he leaves her be, he thinks. And yet, when he starts walking again, it's in her direction.

Evie doesn't even lift her head to look up at him as he approaches her. He pauses next to her, sparing the statue, whose base she's sitting on the edge of, a wary glance. He's heard they move.

He shifts his gaze back down to her. His head tilts, watching her for a moment as she seems completely unaware of his presence. She's just staring blankly ahead, her arms resting on her lap.

Glancing around them, he tries to weigh his options. Except he's only seeing one that he actually wants to do. If Mal or even Jay was around, he would be willing to back away.

But looking at her -- something softens inside of him, and he moves without thinking, taking a seat beside her.

Evie finally turns her head, looking at him. He falters, wondering if this was a bad idea. He simply raises his eyebrows the tiniest bit at her.

There's something different. The glint she had in her eyes all day is gone. There's no spark of determination and fiery confidence, or her purest intentions when she suggested that icebreaker game after they had defeated the knights. Her expression's practically blank, no trace of emotion.

"Hey there," he says, eyeing her as she turns back away from him. 

"Hi," she still replies anyway, her voice barely audible with how soft the one word is. Even that's lacking the same emotion he heard just hours ago.

He wets his lip, catching his lower one between his teeth a second later as he thinks. He really doesn't know Evie. Sure, he saw her around the Isle and heard about her because of Uma, but it was rare and he never had more than one face-to-face run-in with her that lasted a total of ten seconds at most.

"Are you..." he starts, then stops, hesitating as he wonders if that's really how he wants to word his next sentence. 

She tilts her head back towards him, looking up at him again. He sighs and rolls his eyes upwards.

"Are you... alright?" he asks.

She blinks slowly, not answering right away. A flicker of confusion mixed with surprise lights up in her eyes and he has to force himself not to feel even a little bit triumphant. It's some emotion, at least.

Her lips quirk up a tiny bit after a few seconds pass. She leans her head on her hand and nods.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she says. "Thanks."

It might just be his imagination or some other instinct that's great at calling people out after spending his entire life doing exactly that on the Isle, but she didn't sound too convincing.

"You know..." he starts before he can stop himself, glancing away from her. Heat's already rising to his cheeks and he's resisting his habit of squirming when mildly uncomfortable. "I didn't get a chance to return your compliment during that icebreaker game thingy."

If Evie was surprised by his concern for her, she's downright stunned now. Her eyes are a little wider as she lifts her head back up. The small smile on her lips is slowly growing as he glances at her.

"Really? I thought you thought it was stupid," she tells him, and he doesn't disagree. Her head tilts a little, curiosity flickering across her face as she asks, "what were you going to say?"

"Ah, see, I can't tell you that," he says, giving a feigned helpless shrug as he holds her gaze. He leans in a little closer, nudging her shoulder gently. "Not until you tell me what's bothering that pretty head of yours. I thought it was meant for a crown, not bottling up your feelings."

Evie raises her eyebrows, but her smile grows as she breathes out a huff of a laugh. He smiles a little, noticing how she's already brightened.

"Alright, since you're so smooth with your flattery," she says sarcastically, emphasizing and making him grin widely at her. 

Her own slips a little. She looks away from him, and for a moment, he thinks she's staring across at the Isle. He just tilts his head to keep her face in view, watching her expression shift and change.

"I'm..." she exhales, shaking her head slowly, "I'm worried. And — sort of sad, I guess. I haven't seen my mom since we decided to stay here, and I just really do not want to face her now that she's free. I can't."

Harry gets it. It's exactly why he's having this conversation with her right now, because he's avoiding having to come face-to-face with his dad.

"How bad was she?" he gently asks. "I mean, considering everyone called her the Evil Queen, I'm guessing pretty bad. But... you know, as a parent."

Evie inhales deeply, still staring straight ahead. "About as bad as you would expect from a Villian trying to raise a kid."

She drops her head forward, shaking it again as she closes her eyes. He wants to reach out to comfort her in some way, an instinct he's picked up from Uma and Gil. But he doesn't.

"I was never good enough for her," she tells him. "I always had to be the perfect princess. Dress nice, wear just the right amount of makeup, don't seem too smart — princes don't like girls with brains. You'll never be able to find yourself a decent prince who'll want you like that. And it was always about how appealing I had to be so that I could find a wealthy one with a castle. She didn't even care if I loved them or not, so long as she got what she wanted."

"Oh, well, she sounds delightful," Harry says before he can think. He curses himself in his head and risks a look at her, expecting her to glare at him and shoot some angry remark at him.

But instead, she's smiling. She nods, seemingly in agreement with his sarcasm and sardonic tone.

"Yeah, I'm sure she would have been thrilled to come here and meet the handsome prince that I've charmed into marrying me as soon as possible and would just_ love _to have his new mother-in-law live with us in his gigantic castle."

Harry snorts at that and raises his eyebrows a little bit, saying, "well, I wouldn't exactly call that lad of yours a handsome prince, especially not with that hair. But I suppose he probably does have a castle. Everyone here seems to, even if they're not a prince. Wait, he isn't a prince, right? That would be unfortunate for Auradon."

Evie's smile slips and his stomach drops, knowing he just said something wrong. 

"No, Doug's not a prince," she tells him. She then takes in a breath, shaking her head slowly. "In fact, he's not even my boyfriend. I'm sure my mother will be delighted to hear that I couldn't even charm Dopey's son into loving me. Or at least letting me live in his castle. Not that he has one, but still."

Harry blinks in surprise, processing. He can't help but frown, his eyebrows drawing together.

"But... the two of you..." he says carefully, "you seemed alright earlier."

"I couldn't wake him up with true love's kiss," she explains, her shoulders raising slightly only to drop back down a second later. "So, once the sleeping curse was lifted, and the barrier was taken down, we... talked. We realized that we just aren't in love with each other. So, it's over."

She lifts her eyes back to him, a small, humourless smile settling on her face.

"You can see why I'm not so thrilled about having to see my mother again. She's probably going to get a second chance in Auaradon if Snow White is willing to have her roaming free, and I'm going to have to hear her tell me how much of a disappointment I am for the rest of my life because I couldn't keep one man from losing interest in me."

Harry can't help but look at her in disbelief. It's the first time in the last day two days that he's heard her so...so much like an Isle kid. He knows she is, obviously. 

He saw flashes of dark blue around corners when he left the pirate's area of the Isle, and Uma was bitter when she talked about the girl who was now always at Mal's side, the newest addition to their little gang.

And yet, for the last two days, while really spending time with her for the first time, he's only heard her be upbeat and positive. Perky, as Uma described her, and so set on making peace between them all. She's been like all the Auradon kids he's met, fitting in perfectly, handing out smiles and warm words to all of them, even him.

For a minute, he forgot that she was stuck in the same hell he was. He inhales, shaking his head.

"You know, I'm not sure true love really even exists anyway," he says with a shrug. "Just the sound of it — it's all just a bit of a fantasy that these idiots want to believe can defeat the _villains_. I doubt even they really believe in it."

He flashes her a grin, knocking gently into her shoulder at the last part. She smiles, much to his relief, but it still doesn't quite meet her eyes. Something flickers in them, and she shakes her head, looking up at him.

"But I'm one of those idiots," she tells him sadly, "I truly believed that true love's kiss could fix anything. Ironic considering my mother hated Snow White for surviving her curse through a kiss from her prince. I wanted Doug to be my true love. I really thought he was."

"Don't beat yourself up over not having _true love_ with that...long-haired lad," Harry says. "Honestly, I think you dodged a bit of a blade there."

Evie attempts to keep her smile in place, but all it seems to do is make it slip a little more as she looks away again. He watches her, his frown returning. There's something off about seeing her unhappy, and he doesn't think he likes it. He sighs.

"He wasn't your one chance at...true love," he says, rolling his eyes on the last two words.

Out of the corner of his eye, Evie turns her head back towards him. He keeps his eyes on the ground, twisting the rings on his middle finger around and around, rubbing at his skin.

"You know, there are a lot of other people out there," he continues gingerly. "There's no way that _Doug_ was the only person that you'll ever have a chance with. If a prince is what you want, then I'm pretty sure you've got a good chance of finding one. You're practically royalty here already by the looks of it, and..."

He hesitates, his stomach clenching at just the thought of continuing that. But he feels like he has to say it, because she deserves to hear it. He meets her eyes, giving another small roll of his own.

"Anyone in this stupid kingdom would be lucky to have you," he finishes, his heart jumping a beat. "Though that's just the opinion of a pirate, so I guess it doesn't mean all that much to you."

Evie shakes her head right away and his eyes are drawn down to her hand now on his arm.

"It means a lot, Harry," she tells him in the exact same voice as when she complimented him yesterday. Her features soften, and the smile that forms on her lips is more genuine than the rest she's had throughout their conversation. "Thank you. Seriously, everything you said is incredibly sweet and really does make me feel a bit better."

He smiles back at her, ignoring the swoop of joy in his stomach as best he can. He ducks his head, and his eyes go back to her hand still resting on his arm. 

His head tilts slightly; he hadn't noticed that her nails are painted red and not blue like the rest of her attire.

"So," she raises her eyebrows the tiniest bit, giving a small shrug of her shoulders as she casts a curious glance at him, "was that what your icebreaker was going to be? That I'm...you know, everything you said?"

"I was actually going to say that I think that shade of blue in your hair suits you rather nicely," he says, then quickly presses on as he waves a hand vaguely, "but yeah, I'm gonna change my answer to that."

Evie laughs—honest to gods laughs, her mouth curving up as the soft, quiet sound passes her lips—and Harry's smile widens, his heart doing something mildly concerning beneath his ribs. 

It misses too many beats and tries to make it up for it right away, and he briefly wonders if she has some sort of magical ability inherited/put on her by her mother that's making him respond to just the sound of her laugh like this. 

Maybe she's part siren. It would explain a lot.

She rubs his arm gently as her laughter fades into a bright smile that, he notices now, is finally reaching her eyes. He swallows, attempting to rid himself of the odd feeling at the back of his throat. Sensing an opportunity—and never one to pass a good one by—he takes it, though somewhat tentatively.

"I mean it, you know," he says, and she raises her eyebrows slightly. "You don't have to be what your mother wants. You deserve the life_ you_ want, whatever that may be. I know the Isle would be happy to welcome you back."

Something flickers in her eyes. Her fingers tighten slightly around his arm and he can see it; the appreciation and gratefulness, the silent thank you. It throws him a little, even now, because he's supposed to be the bad guy. So is she though, he supposes. And destroying any reputation he may have earned from his father is worth it for the way Evie's looking at him.

"I don't think it would quite be with open arms," she replies, almost sadly at the thought of her once home no longer accepting her back as it once would have.

"There would be a few," Harry says sincerely. "And, anyone who didn't would get a nice little tour of my plank, swiftly followed by one of the sea."

Evie laughs again, and quickly covers her mouth as she ducks her head. He catches his lower lip between his teeth, looking at her as he smiles. 

She curls her fingers across her mouth, inhaling, then tilts her head to one side as she rests her elbow on her knee to look back up at him. Her hair falls across her shoulder from the movement, and he can't help but think back to his original compliment. The blue really does suit her.

"What?" she asks, her voice shaking slightly with amusement and a hint of laughter. 

He blinks, and his eyes widen a second later as he realizes she must have caught him. He gives a shake of his head that's maybe a little too fast as her eyebrows lift. Heat's rising to his skin once more and he silently curses himself.

First, it was calling the pretty girl in the woods his "little duckling", then it was rehashing a sort of old flame with his compliment on Jay's face, followed by trying to kiss Uma only to be swiftly rejected. And now it's staring at Evie. Fantastic. He really has a knack for embarrassing himself around pretty people.

"Nothing," he breathes out as convincingly as he can, still shaking his head.

He then falters, because she's still looking into his eyes with that_ look_ and he's pretty sure she has some sort of built-in lie detector. It doesn't really help that she's still smiling at him.

"I'm just thinking that I should maybe have included extremely pretty and distracting into that icebreaker compliment thing," he says, attempting to shrug it off with complete nonchalance, not a care in the world. His heartbeat's sudden spike in speed is another matter.

Evie's smile widens as she opens her mouth, staring at him in shock. A soft sort of disbelieving scoff passes her lips, but her eyes are dancing with something he can't put his finger on and he can't quite seem to pull himself away from.

"Harry Hook, are you flirting with me?" she asks, exaggerating just a little with a playful edge to her voice as she presses the tips of her fingers against her chest as if in disbelief. "Again?"

He rolls his eyes, trying to play it off as if even the mere thought is utterly ridiculous. Except he's well aware that after being told Mal was definitely taken, he stared at Evie for maybe a few seconds too long. 

She was just so close, and she was looking right back at him. He's pretty sure she's aware he would try and flirt with just about anyone given the opportunity, including her.

"Of course not," he says, looking at her as he continues trying to seem convincing. She raises her eyebrows a little further. "I have more tact and respect than to flirt with someone who just got out of a relationship, and is very clearly having a hard time dealing with it."

He's sincere, for the most part. He didn't approach her with the intention of hitting on her, but simply because she seemed unusually upset and like maybe she could use a little spark of her own medicine to brighten her back up. 

"I heard that you tried to hit on Jane while Carlos was right next to her," Evie says, drawing her eyebrows together. "And then Mal, while knowing that she is most definitely engaged to Ben. And then..." she falters, "...me, sort of."

"Alright, I'll give you that, but—" he holds up his hand with the hook, "—I am not flirting with you now. I am simply commenting on your appearance which happens to be rather nice, and I am merely appreciating you as a person. Is that so bad over here?"

"No," Evie says slowly, though the corners of her lips quirk up a little more. "In fact, it's quite sweet. But, just for the record, I'm not taking the breakup with Doug badly. In all honesty, I've felt it coming for a while now. I sort of accepted it a few months ago. I don't know what happened, but something just...changed between us."

Harry nods carefully, processing her expression, the tone of her voice. She seems sincere and entirely honest. He will admit, when they were standing together earlier, he did think something wasn't quite right between them. He saw the little spark Mal had with Ben, and even Gil and Jay. It just wasn't there.

"So, technically, you would be allowed to flirt without guilt about crossing a line," she adds, giving a little shrug as she looks away. The living embodiment of calm, cool, and collected. She nearly has him fooled.

Still, he can't help but blink in surprise. It does shoot a little spark up through his stomach into his chest though. She's quite literally giving him permission to flirt with her. 

He can only stare at her, watching how she keeps her eyes on her that little red and gold ring sitting on her index finger of her right hand. It almost looks like an apple instead of a heart with a tilted crown atop it.

He does his best to suppress a grin. He's only partially successful. 

"Out of curiosity," he narrows his eyes as she looks back at him, "why exactly would you want me to flirt with you? Not that I don't want to, but I'm not exactly the handsome prince with the big castle and lots of money."

Evie holds his gaze, that little something in her eyes dancing again as she seems to take his words in carefully, her lips pressed together. Her head tilts the tiniest bit. She then raises her shoulders in a shrug, giving a shake of her head.

"That's what my mother wants. But, you're right," she says, and his heart seems to forget a beat that was critical to its steady rhythm. "I don't need to live the life she wanted me to have. I can make my own choices, which is something I figured out a while ago. But even now that she's free, and here, it's still true."

Harry swallows, nodding slowly. "And...? What is it that you do want then?"

She takes a moment to respond, tilting her head as a thoughtful look crosses her face briefly. She shakes her head again.

"I'm not sure," she admits. Then she pauses, and the corners of her mouth twitch. "But I'm thinking maybe not a prince."

He raises his eyebrows. "A princess then?"

Evie laughs, ducking her head for just a second. He can't help but smile at her, his lips slightly parted.

"Maybe," she says, and nods, lifting her eyes back to him. Her smile settles and Harry's only just remembering her hand's still on his arm. He's already gotten used to it. "Although, a lot of the ones around here don't seem to be too fond of me."

"Everyone's fond of you," Harry says without thinking, the words slipping out of his mouth without so much as a warning to his brain. Something he apparently left behind on the Isle. He's done it now, so he may as well accept it. "They'd have to have not met you to not be. Maybe even including pirates."

Evie pauses, and he gauges her for her reaction. He shouldn't be nervous. Or flustered. Or even slightly nauseous at just waiting for her to say something. And yet he is, and he's embracing it with a small smile.

"That," she says softly, her head tilted at a slight angle as her eyes move over his face.

He blinks, faltering, and warily asks, "what?"

Her mouth curves up, and there's this little spark in her eyes that he's starting to become familiar with. It's nice, comforting to look at in some way. 

"That's what I want," she tells him, her voice barely above a whisper as she nods slowly. It's like the realization's coming to her in the very moment, lighting up her eyes, then her entire face.

Harry's eyebrows furrow slightly, the confusion taking over, and evidently all over his face as Evie seems to pick up on it. 

"Someone who — who understands," she says, shaking her head as if it should have been obvious all along. "I never really talked to Doug about my mom because, well, she wasn't exactly nice, but also because he just didn't seem to really...get what I was saying when I tried. And it's like that with everyone here. But, back on the Isle, we all just sort of — understood what each other was going through because we were as well."

Harry will admit, that doesn't really help his confusion any. But he thinks he understands what she's getting at, even if her way of saying it is getting a little lost in his mind.

"So..." he starts carefully, "you want someone you can talk to about your mother?"

"Not just that," she presses on, "but someone who makes it easy to do that. I don't feel like I have to sugarcoat it or make it seem like I'm okay so that they're not worried about me. Someone who will just ask me about it, outright, and I'll feel like I'm able to be honest with them. And — someone who I know will be able to lift me back up from it without brushing it off, and will — will make me feel safe even when I'm talking about the Isle and the moments I felt the most _unsafe_."

Harry's nodding along with each and every word before she's even finished speaking. It makes sense to him, and he gets it. He understands that desire, even if it's a bit deeper down inside of him, tucked away underneath the wall of security he's built up for himself over the years. 

"Yeah, actually, that does sound nice," he agrees.

Evie smiles at him, the action and her features soft. He can't stop looking at her. He wants to. At least, he's sure he does. 

But he can't seem to look away from her, or that shade of blue that's refusing to let go of his attention. Or that shade of red on her lips, emphasizing her smile.

A beat passes. Harry really isn't sure if his insides are supposed to feel this or not. It's the same feeling he used to get back on the Isle, before Jay decided to ditch him for Auradon. It was always felt strange then as well, this weird twisting. 

Something flickers across Evie's face, but it's too fast for him to catch. She drops his gaze a second later though, ducking her head slightly, so he's guessing that whatever it is can't be all that good. At least not for him.

"I never asked before, but how come you're out here?" she asks, glancing back up at him. She gives a small nod of her head behind them, back towards the castle as her smile stretches, though its sincerity seems to fade slightly. "I kind of assumed you'd be inside with Uma helping get everything settled. There's still a lot to do now that the barrier's down."

Harry faintly thinks that he definitely should be inside with Uma. She's going to kill him the second she finds him, he's well aware of that. But he knows she'll understand when he explains. Hopefully.

"I'm sort of avoiding running into my rather delightful parent as well actually," he explains. Uma will definitely get that. She was always the one who was there for him because of his dad. Her, Gil, and even Jay on occasion.

Evie's eyebrows lift slightly in surprise, and she stops attempting to avoid looking at him for too long. She straightens up a little. Her hand finally slips from his arm. He can't help but look down at it, and something sinks inside of him.

"You don't get along with your dad?" she asks, doing a pretty impressive job at mostly keeping the surprise out of her voice. He supposes it isn't that shocking when it comes to any of them not getting along with their parents. 

He takes in a deep breath, forcing his eyes back up to her as he gives a half shrug and says, "I suppose not, no."

Her eyes dart down and he follows them to the hook he's still holding onto. There's an understanding in her expression, but no pity. Usually, this is the moment he feels everything inside of him go up and he feels some twisted need to defend himself and his likeness to his dad. It doesn't happen.

It's like the reverse happens instead — everything settles inside of him, the walls retreating back down. It's not unfamiliar to him, but it shouldn't be happening right now, with Evie, of all people. He's not supposed to feel this comfortable, it's not how this works.

That somehow doesn't stop him from moving the hook to his other hand, twisting it around between the two of them slowly as he stares down at it. He shakes his head slowly and almost has the urge to laugh. His mind settles for a small smile that's lacking any real humour.

"I took this from my dad's ship when I was younger," he tells her. "He had a few, I never questioned why. It's funny, I wanted to be so much like him. I actually tried to get that bloody crocodile to bite my hand off so that I would be just like dear old dad, hook and all."

He catches Evie's shock out of the corner of his eye, and he can't blame her. Thinking back on it, it could have ended with him losing more than a hand. It's a good thing Tick-Tock got too lazy over the years to be tempted into it. 

He waves the hook slightly. Useless.

"I thought that, if I couldn't have the real deal, I could at least make people think I did. It worked, too. For a while, of course. I didn't care if people knew it was fake; I was already Uma's first mate, and people were scared of me. It was the best thing in the world to me. I was just like my dad, taking on the legacy of the notorious Captain Hook. Without his ship, of course, because he just had to crash it while he was drinking before I could have it."

He glances up at Evie briefly, and she's smiling gently at him, her entire attention focused solely on him. It somehow makes him want to keep talking, knowing she's listening to every word he says. 

"And yet," he shakes his head, forcing himself to look back down at the hook, "it just wasn't enough. Not for him. I wasn't the captain, he said, and I would never be able to live up to him. He likes Ursula and adores Uma, but I would always be a disappointment if I kept following her, or if I never hurt anyone like he did, or if I kept sneaking around the Isle with the likes of Jafar's and Gaston's sons."

He can't help but roll his eyes at the memory of how those conversations went down. 

In his own defense, and as he pointed out quite fairly when his dad said that to him, he was never sneaking. He just didn't pay attention until the rumours that he was dating Jay and Gil got back to him courtesy of the lovely Cruella. He's guessing she just told him so that people would stop talking about how close Jay and Carlos were getting.

"Wait, you and Jay?" Evie asks in obvious confusion, her eyebrows drawn together. "Really?"

Harry chuckles at that, unable to help himself. He nods in answer though, hoping Jay won't mind too much. He wasn't fazed when he thanked him back in the woods yesterday at least.

"Sort of," he says, looking back up at her. "You know how it is over there. Was."

"Yeah," she breathes out, nodding, "dating wasn't really a thing. A major flaw of the Isle now that I'm thinking about it."

Harry raises his eyebrows, his mouth curving up. "That's the major flaw in that place?"

"Well—" she falters, her lips parting only for her to shake her head as she seems to try and reword herself, "one of the many, obviously. Maybe a more minor one, I suppose, but still."

"No, no, you're totally right," Harry says, trying to bite back his grin as best he can. "Not knowing how to be in a relationship the right way is most definitely one of the Isle's biggest problems. Personally, I think it's what screwed me up the most growing up."

Evie stares at him in disbelief as she laughs. He caves and flashes her a bright grin in return, joining her in her amusement. She shoves gently at his arm as she rolls her eyes, but it only makes him laugh along with her. 

"You're unbelievable," she says, shaking her head at him.

"Hey, that should have been your icebreaker!" he says, pointing a finger at her while she scoffs, but she's still laughing. "It's just vague enough for it to either be an insult or a compliment."

"The whole point of that was to name something we like about each other."

"Are you saying that you don't like how unbelievable I am?"

Evie closes her eyes, pressing her lips together as her shoulders shake and she attempts to contain the rest of her laughter. He watches her, wide-eyed and still grinning brightly. Her hand's still on his arm, he notices faintly, and yet he can't bring himself to look away to make sure. 

She presses the tips of her fingers against her face, partially covering it as she continues to shake her head. Because of him. 

That soft little noise that escapes despite her efforts is because of him. He doesn't know if maybe she's just easily amused, but he doesn't care. She's smiling, and laughing, and his heart is going far too fast. 

A moment passes like that, and if he's being honest, he's content to let it go on for longer. They don't even have to talk. He'd be happy just like this. 

The thought definitely startles him, but he isn't too focused on being concerned right now. That can come later, when he lets everything else back in.

Evie moves her hand, letting it linger on the side of her face for just a second as she stares at the ground. She then drops it into her lap as the small smile pulls gently at the corners of her mouth.

Her expression shifts to something he swears he's seen before, rarely, but he knows he has, somewhere. He imagines it was probably Uma, or Gil, or maybe Jay. He's getting that feeling. 

She turns determined eyes on him, sparkling with a soft look that has his heart jumping again.

"You are more than good enough," she tells him softly, but firmly. "No matter what your father may think or say or do. You aren't him. You're never going to be him. And that's a _good_ thing because I like you a hell of a lot more as yourself than as a carbon-copy of your dad."

Harry blinks, taken aback and completely caught off-guard. 

She holds his wide-eyed gaze as if making sure there's no possible room for him to refuse to accept her words. He wouldn't even know where to begin, because her fingers are rubbing gently at his skin again.

"You're loyal, and I can tell just how much Uma appreciates having you by her side as her first mate," she presses on, her mouth curving up. "That, and how willing you were to help us save Auradon and get the barrier taken down, is worth so much. You're a good person, Harry. And we aren't our parents or what the want us to be just so that they can get their dumb revenge fantasy."

The words sink in, embedding into his skin, and he knows she's right. He looks away, staring down at the ground. Back on the Isle, it wasn't that easy. 

He couldn't just decide that he didn't want to follow in his dad's footsteps or do what he wanted him to do, for the most part.

That never ended well, and he eventually grew tired of Uma and Gil's concerned looks when he suggested someone else steer the ship that day, or because he had to balance against something just to keep himself upright and in an attempt to minimise the pain. 

It was easier to just go along with what his dad wanted.

He inhales, pushing the air into his lungs as he shakes his head slowly. 

"But you were right," he says quietly, "they're free now. We got them released."

"Harry, your father committed murder," Evie says, tilting her head to try and catch his eyes as her hand stills on his arm. "And attempted to kill two children. He's not free, and I'm not sure he's ever going to be."

He doesn't correct her on the number. It wouldn't make a difference; she's right either way. He can't tell if he's relieved or not at knowing that.

"I still have to go in there," he says, staring at the ground. "I still have to see him. They'll need me for the trial or whatever and I — I don't think I can. He's going to try and convince me to lie for him and help him escape, and I just—"

"Hey," Evie quickly cuts him off, making him look up at her at last. Her fingers slip down to his wrist as she looks him in the eyes. "You do not owe him anything. Alright? And they can do the trial without you. There's more than enough proof of what he's done, and I'm sure Wendy will testify to that."

Harry's eyebrows raise slightly. He wasn't aware Wendy lived in Auradon. Then again, he has no idea who decided to stay, and who decided to start a new life far away from all magic, and heroes and villains, and fairytales.

Knowing that he doesn't need to speak up for his dad's crimes certainly eases the weight on his chest a little. But it's still there, nagging at him, refusing to go away.

Evie must sense it as she nods slowly, more to herself than to him as he's not even fully looking at her.

Her hand shifts on his arm again, moving down until it's in his. He stares at them as she pauses, evidently waiting for some sort of response out of him. When he doesn't move, she curls her fingers around his hand and squeezes gently.

He looks up at her, his lips parting a little bit but the question not making it out. She smiles softly, and that firm determination is still sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm going to need to go in and help Mal since I made a promise to her. I'm not so sure I'm ready to face my mom alone," she says. "Would you maybe come with me? It would definitely make me feel better."

Harry can't help the smile that forms on his lips. He knows exactly what she's doing. It makes his stomach swoop, and the appreciation nestles inside of his chest, tucked away beneath his ribs alongside his slightly off-rhythm heartbeat.

"Well, if it'll make you feel safer to have me with you," he says, emphasizing just enough that her smile tugs up, knowing he's caught on, "then yeah, sure. I'll go in with you. Just...so long as you promise not to wander off without me. I don't exactly know Auradon that well."

"Yet," she says, and the possibility of staying sure does look a lot more appealing. She smiles. "I promise. Though, Uma may want me to. I don't think she was as fond of my icebreaker as you were."

"That's okay," he says with a shake of his head. "She'll come around. Besides, I still like it. And you."

Evie's eyebrows lift slightly, but her smile doesn't waver for a second in her mild surprise. 

"Is that so?" she asks, her voice taking on an almost teasing edge. Her head tilts as he nods, his lips parting in a half-smirk of a smile. "I guess I could add a pirate as an option for what I want. There is the advantage of being able to sail a ship."

Harry's heart does some weird flippy-over thing but he can't bring himself to care. His smile grows as he leans a little closer.

"I could take you anywhere you want," he tells her. "I'm sure there are plenty of empty castles waiting for a princess."

He catches it — a glimmer in her eyes, bright and joyous, and so much happier than anyone who grew up on the Isle should be able to be. And yet, she is. Maybe things really can be different. 

"I like the sound of that," she replies softly, nodding. Even if he couldn't see her smiling bright as a day off of the Isle in front of him, he would be able to hear it shining through in her voice. 

His stomach drops then swoops right back up again. This is it. The opportunity, waiting for him to take it as she sits there, looking at him like that and still holding his hand. And he's never one to pass up an opportunity this good.

His eyes flick down to that shade of red on her lips. It really is distracting in the best way possible. He pushes down the feeling in his throat and leans in, his heart skipping far too many beats for it to be okay.

Evie abruptly stands at the last moment, leaving him hanging there as she says, "We should probably go in there before they think something has happened to us."

Harry blinks, his stomach dropping in a moment of alarm. He quickly turns his eyes up to her. The second time in one day, that can't be a coincidence. He still obliges to the little tug she gives his hand all the same and follows her by getting to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah," he says, attempting to brush it off as he waves his hook slightly, "that's probably a good idea. Let's do that."

Evie hums in agreement. Then she flies forward, too fast for him to process what's happening until her lips are on his. The noise of surprise he makes at the back of his throat quickly fades as he catches up and relaxes despite his heartbeat's insistent protests against his ribs. 

Her lips are soft and slow as she kisses him, and his eyes close as he lets her movements lead. He keeps to her pace, her free hand moving up to the side of his neck, the touch nearly startling him. She's gentle though and he leans into it without a second thought as the edges of his mind go fuzzy. 

He tilts his head the tiniest bit, pressing forward ever so slightly, and he goes to move his own hand. 

She pulls back, smiling brightly at him before he can get a chance to even think about deepening it.

It takes him a moment and a few rapid blinks for him to snap back from it. By that point, Evie's already laughing lightly, her hand moving from his neck to cover her mouth with the tips of her fingers.

He notices a smudge just below her bottom lip. The realization kicks in and he rolls his eyes upwards, letting them close briefly as he groans. 

"You know, I think red's really your colour," Evie says through her laughter, the tip of her nail between her lips.

He drops his head back down to look at her. He can't help the grin that slowly starts to form at the corners of his mouth, the idea popping into his head.

"Oh yeah? Maybe I should get a little more, really make sure it stands out," he says, already starting to inch closer.

Her eyes widen, catching on. She drops his hand and bolts away, still laughing as his own eyes widen. 

"How the hell are you so fast?" he calls after her, glancing from the spot she had been standing in just two seconds ago. "You're wearing bloody heels!"

She turns, pausing in her movements briefly as she shrugs, smirking at him. "I've had practice."

"Oh, a challenge," he breathes out, his own smirk widening. "Alright."

He takes off after her and she shrieks, quickly bolting again as it turns into laughter once again. He can't help but join her as they practically race towards the castle, the both of them in fits of laughter. She doesn't trip once, even while zigzagging all over the place, and he has to say, he's impressed.

And possibly reconsidering that idea about going back to the Isle. Maybe staying wouldn't be so bad. He can handle Auradon's prep school and its princes and princesses. Though he definitely prefers the Isle's princesses and queens.


End file.
